FRISCO, Texas — Stephen Jones said Friday that the expectation for the Dallas Cowboys should be to improve every week. The Cowboys opened the season Sunday night with a 28-20 loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
Jones, the team’s executive vice president, made the comments during his weekly Friday appearance on 105.3 The Fan’s “G-Bag Nation,” two days before Dallas hosts the Washington Commanders in its home opener at AT&T Stadium. Some of what went wrong against New York can be easily corrected, Jones said.
“Certainly we feel good,” Jones said. “We’re not going to let ourselves get too overdone here after last week because we do feel really good about this football team and actually felt good going into last week. But obviously didn’t play as well as we hoped. It was disappointing, but it’s certainly not going to define us. And at the same time, we’re going to own it and understand that we have to [be] better than that if we’re going to win in the NFL.”
“And there’s some things that we see that we can certainly not only improve but easily correct, and we just gotta go out there and make some plays and play better,” Jones continued. “I know our team has a lot of confidence in themselves. I know Dak on his side of the ball and his group all feel good that they can certainly do what they need to do to win games. And I know Christian and this defense know they can play a lot better and will [be] better.”
New York finished with 394 total yards to 244 for Dallas. The Giants picked up 29 first downs, and on third down they converted 9 of 11 attempts. They held the ball for 36 minutes and 40 seconds.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart went 23-of-29 for 230 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.
The defense got the ball out against New York and did not get the bounces, Jones said.
“I think it’s to really improve every week, that should be the expectation,” Jones explained. “I know they’re gonna set a higher bar for themselves to go faster, but certainly I think we can improve.”
“We did do some really good things on the defensive side of the ball in terms of getting the ball out. We just didn’t get it,” Jones continued. “We got it out, and it didn’t bounce our way. We get a few of those, and some good things can happen and change the complexion of the game. That’s something that they’ve worked on throughout training camp is getting the ball out. We’ve just got to get it now.”
“Certainly, I know Dak’s one of the best in the business of protecting the ball, and we’ve got to do that, especially in critical situations at the end of a half where you certainly want to get that last score,” Jones detailed. “Unfortunately, to the contrary, we allowed them to get the last score and then getting the ball back there to start the second. I think Coach Schotty and his staff call it a double dip. We’ve got it put on us rather than going the other way.”
“So these are just all things that we have to understand,” Jones noted. “We have to own them, and we have to improve upon them. But I do think it’s realistic that we will continue to improve on the defensive side of the ball. I don’t think it’s unrealistic to have high, high expectations for the offensive side.”
“And know ultimately defense is striving to be good, if not great, on the defensive side. They certainly understand we have a ways to go, and we have to own the performance last Sunday but don’t live with it,” Jones added. “It’s one loss, and it is one bad performance, but certainly understand that we want to [be] better.”
With the score tied 7-7 and under two minutes left in the second quarter, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams forced a fumble that Dallas recovered at the 8-yard line. George Pickens dropped a deep ball from Dak Prescott on the ensuing drive. Two plays later, Prescott was intercepted at the New York 45 on a throw he was trying to put out of bounds.
Dart then led a six-play, 55-yard drive that ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely with 20 seconds left in the half. New York scored again after taking the second-half kickoff. Jones called it a real turning point in the game during his Monday appearance on 105.3 The Fan’s “K&C Masterpiece.”
Pickens and CeeDee Lamb each had passes go through their hands Sunday, and Prescott backed both of them afterward. Last season, the pair combined for 38 of the Cowboys’ 56 receptions of 20 or more yards.
Stephen Jones Points To Communication Over Physicality After Loss To The New York Giants
Dallas went into Sunday with a goal of winning first down on both sides of the ball, and Jones said it did not get that done.
“I think it’s more the communication,” Jones said. “I think certainly they had some schemes that allowed them some good matchups. Obviously, Greg Roman does a great job with that big fullback. He carries him with him, I think, every team he goes to and certainly gives them a punch.”
“I mean, our goal going into the game was to win first down on both sides of the ball, and we didn’t get that done,” Jones continued. “And so the physicality is an issue, too. But the communication, I think, are things that I know both sides of the ball we feel like we can easily clean up and are very confident that we can clean up.”
“At the same time, we do feel like we’ve got the players who are going to play their ass off and play physical,” Jones added. “That’s why I’m still very optimistic about the future of this football team.”
Roman joined the Giants this year as a senior offensive assistant under coach John Harbaugh. He was the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2022 and the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive coordinator from 2024 to 2025. The Giants ran for 165 yards Sunday.
In January, Dallas hired Christian Parker as defensive coordinator to replace Matt Eberflus. Parker, 34, became the youngest defensive coordinator in franchise history. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said after the game that the young players on defense would play again this weekend.
“I have no question Christian Parker is the right guy for this job,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s an outstanding coach. He will learn from this, just like our young players are going to learn from this. We’re going to play our young players this weekend, too. They’re going to play better, and Christian’s going to call a better game this week and feel better about it.”
Jones hugged Parker at practice this week, and he said there was nothing extra special behind it.
“No, just saying hi. Hell, I’m a hugger,” Jones said. “I hug him up, and anybody who knows me knows that. No, it wasn’t anything extra special there. It’s what I do when I see guys and just say, ‘Hey, let’s have us a hell of a week,’ and fired up about it. And I am fired up. I know Jerry is too, and I look forward to getting back out on the field.”
Dallas Cowboys Host The Washington Commanders In Their Home Opener
Last season, Dallas also opened on the road against an NFC East opponent. The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Cowboys 24-20 on Sept. 4, 2025, and Dallas finished 7-9-1. Under Eberflus, the Cowboys allowed 511 points, the most in the NFL.
Washington lost its own opener 24-22 at Philadelphia. Dallas swept the Commanders last season, winning 44-22 in Arlington in October and 30-23 at Washington on Christmas Day. Prescott is 13-2 in 15 career starts against Washington, and he has won 19 straight home games against NFC East opponents.
Two defenders were hurt against the Giants. Safety Malik Hooker had surgery Tuesday on a fractured forearm, and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown strained his hamstring with 12:04 left in the fourth quarter.
Kickoff against Washington is set for 3:25 p.m. CT Sunday on FOX. The Cowboys then face the Ravens in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 27, with kickoff at 3:25 p.m. CT on CBS.
